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Politics & Government

Young Portrait Earns Permanent Place Saturday Night in Nation's Capital

Ambassador Andrew Young has portrait permanently displayed in the Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery this weekend.

Over a century after Frederick Douglass and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began advocating social justice and civil rights in American society, Ambassador Andrew Young was braving water hoses and violent beatings, still demanding equal rights for all.

Cascade Heights' own "Andy" Young will take his place alongside these key historical figures when, on Saturday evening, his portrait is unveiled as part of the Smithsonian Institute's Struggle For Justice Exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The entire exhibit will include over 40 sculptures, photographs, as well as portraits of Americans who have fought especially for those in our society who are often overlooked and disparaged.

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“Though this particular honor focuses on his civil rights work, it easily encompasses my husband's varied leadership roles, all of them stemming from his higher calling to serve and make a difference in our global community,” Young's wife, Caroline McClain Young, said in a recent news release.

Known for compassion and a "voice of reason," Young is still bridging paths across cultural lines and educating the community on global injustice through the Andrew Young Foundation. Indeed, his series recently received a Lifetime Emmy Award.

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Before the portrait unveiling, the former Atlanta mayor and Congressman will participate in a discussion about his role in the Civil Rights Movement with Jack Watson, Jr., Chairman of the National Portrait Commission and a long-time friend.

“I am humbled to be included,” Young commented on learning of his latest accolade. “Through this medium, thousands will continue to learn of our various journeys to serve the disenfranchised and the least of these, God's children.”

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